Than seek a dispensation for his oath, [The Ladies mask. Enter KING, LONGAVILLE, DUMAIN, BIRON, and Attendants. King. Fair princess, welcome to the court of Navarre. Prin. Fair, I give you back again: and, welcome I have not yet: the roof of this court is too high to be yours; and welcome to the wild fields too base to be mine. King. You shall be welcome, madam, to my court. Prin. I will be welcome then; conduct me thither. King. Hear me, dear lady; I have sworn an oath. Prin. Our lady help my lord! he'll be forsworn. King. Not for the world, fair madam, by my will. Prin. Why, will shall break it; will, and nothing else. King. Your ladyship is ignorant what it is. 6 Prin. Were my lord so, his ignorance were wise, Where now his knowledge must prove ignorance. I hear your grace hath sworn-out house-keeping: "Tis deadly sin to keep that oath, my lord, And sin to break it: But pardon me, I am too sudden-bold; To teach a teacher ill beseemeth me. Vouchsafe to read the purpose of my coming, [Gives a Paper. King. Madam, I will, if suddenly I may. Prin. You will the sooner, that I were away; For you'll prove perjur'd, if you make me stay. 6 Where is here used for whereas. So in Pericles, Act i. Sc. 1. 'Where now you're both a father and a son.' See also K. Henry VI. Part II. passim. Biron. Did not I dance with you in Brabant once? Ros. Did not I dance with you in Brabant once? Biron. I know you did. Ros. To ask the question! Biron. How needless was it then You must not be so quick. Ros. 'Tis 'long of you that spur me with such questions. Biron. Your wit's too hot, it speeds too fast, 'twill tire. Ros. Not till it leave the rider in the mire. Biron. What time o' day? Ros. The hour that fools should ask. King. Madam, your father here doth intimate Which we much rather had depart withal, Dear princess, were not his requests so far Prin. You do the king my father too much wrong, And wrong the reputation of your name, Prin. We arrest your word:- Boyet, you can produce acquittances, King. Satisfy me so. Boyet. So please your grace, the packet is not come, Where that and other specialties are bound; King. It shall suffice me: at which interview, All liberal reason I will yield unto. Mean time, receive such welcome at my hand, 7 To depart and to part were anciently synonymous. 8 This phrase appears to us unseemly to a princess, but it was a common metaphorical expression then much used. Perhaps it was no more considered offensive than it would be now to talk of the castrations of Holinshed. It was not peculiar to Shakspeare. In the Return from Parnassus, Act iii. Sc. 1, we find : 'He hath a proper gelded parsonage.' And Bishop Hall in the second Satire of Book iv. plod it at a patron's tail, To get some gelded chapel's cheaper sale.' It appears to have been synonymous with curtailed. As honour, without breach of honour, may Your own good thoughts excuse me, and farewell: Prin. Sweet health and fair desires consort your grace! King. Thy own wish wish I thee in every place! [Exeunt King and his Train. Biron. Lady, I will commend you to my own heart. Ros. 'Pray you, do my commendations; I would be glad to see it. Biron. I would, you heard it Ros. Alack, let it blood. groan. Biron. Would that do it good? Biron. Will you prick't with your eye? [Retiring. Dum. Sir, I pray you, a word: What lady is that same? Boyet. The heir of Alençon, Rosaline her name. 9 The old spelling of the affirmative particle ay is here retained for the sake of the rhyme. 10 Point, in French, is an adverb of negation, but, if properly spoken, is not sounded like the point of a knife. A quibble was however intended. Perhaps Shakspeare was not well acquainted with the pronunciation of French. Florio in his Italian Dictionary, in v. PUNTO: explains it by never a whit;—no point, as the Frenchman says.' See Act v. Sc. 2. p. 388. Dum. A gallant lady! Monsieur, fare you well. [Exit. Long. I beseech you a word; What is she in the white? Boyet. A woman sometimes, an you saw her in the light. Long. Perchance, light in the light: I desire her name. Boyet. She hath but one for herself; to desire that, were a shame. Long. Pray you, sir, whose daughter? Boyet. Not unlike, sir; that may be. [Exit LONG. Biron. What's her name, in the cap? Boyet. Katharine, by good hap. Biron. Is she wedded, or no? Boyet. To her will, sir, or so. Biron. You are welcome, sir; adieu! Boyet. Farewell to me, sir, and welcome to you. [Exit BIRON.-Ladies unmask. Mar. That last is Biron, the merry mad-cap Not a word with him but a jest. Boyet. And lord; every jest but a word. Prin. It was well done of you to take him at his word. Boyet. I was as willing to grapple, as he was to board. Mar. Two hot sheeps, marry! Boyet. And wherefore not ships? No sheep, sweet lamb, unless we feed on your lips. |